Aptera says the vehicle was heavier than the production version – presumably due to the necessary test equipment – meaning “final production efficiency is expected to be even better”. The concluding validation will take place in the coming months.
First deliveries are expected to take place late this year, with the vehicle mooted to cost from $40,000 (£30,950). Production will then ramp up in 2026, with Aptera aiming to build 20,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2027.
“We have orders from all over the world, with Germany and Spain the largest outside North America,” Aptera co-founder and CEO Steve Fambro told Auto Express at CES in January. “We believe in solar mobility and would like to expand to as many places as can take advantage of it.”
Fambro said in time he would like to see “every journey powered by the sun”, from delivery vehicles to 18-wheel trucks, and the firm is also working on a pilot scheme to deploy the tech on airport vehicles.
“As the technology improves and weight lowers, I would expect the 40 miles of solar to increase to 60 and 100,” added Fambro.
“A daily commute powered by the sun would make us think differently about the grid,” he continued, pointing to the reduced requirement on both public and home EV recharging if the sun is providing cars with up to 40 miles of recharged range per day.
Click here for our list of the most noteworthy solar powered cars…
